Brenton Williams led the Gamecocks with 16 (file photo)
Another SEC game. Another chance for a win. Another close loss. USC knows this script all too well and it played out again Tuesday night in a 71-65 loss at #22 Missouri. The Gamecocks built a 13 point second half lead but couldn’t sustain it, falling to 1-4 in SEC play.
USC led by eight points at the half courtesy of a 13-5 run as the half ended and a putrid shooting effort over the first 20 minutes for Mizzou. The Tigers shot just 20 percent from the floor. They missed their first 14 3-point attempts, failing to connect from beyond the arch until the final 30 seconds of the half.
Frank Martin post game news conference [12:55] (Ed. note: It is worth a listen!)
The Gamecocks stretched that eight point lead to 13 early in the second half before they went ice cold. Mizzou countered with a 15-2 run, including an 11-0 stretch that gave them a one point lead with 12:25 to play. The Gamecocks did manage to reclaim a two point lead at 65-63 with just over two minutes to play, but Mizzou finished the game on an 8-2 run to thwart of the upset bid. Six of those eight points came on difficult three pointers, one of which was banked in. The other two points came from free throws.
Brenton Williams scored 16 points to lead the gamecocks. RJ Slawson added 12 points. Lakeem Jacksn had eight points and Bruce Ellington finished with 7.
USC returns home Saturday to face Arkansas at 1:47 at Colonial Life Arena.
Other notes:
- USC shot 36% from the floor, which isn’t exactly great but it is a lot better than the 23% shooting effort they had against Vanderbilt last week. Mizzou shot just 33% from the floor.
- Mizzou made 28 of 36 free throws. Conversely, USC made 11 of 17 from the charity stripe.
- USC has lost four SEC games by a total of 17 points.
- USC is now 0-3 against teams who have Tigers for mascots (Clemson, Auburn, Missouri).
